A Happy New Year’s Thanks!

I want to thank you all for involving yourselves with nakedpastor this past year. I usually love the quality of our community here. I put out my ideas and the variety of responses they get is a pleasure for me. Nakepastor would be nothing without all of you reading and participating. Over the last year I’ve discovered that there are far more readers than there are commenters. So there’s a huge silent majority involved with nakedpastor that we don’t even know. I hope more people find the nerve to enter into the fray. In many ways, nakedpastor is an online reflection of my local church that I pastor here in eastern Canada. In fact, since we seem to like lists, here’s a list of the positive similarities between the community at my church and the one on nakedpastor:

both are very unique communities
you are free to speak your mind
i am free to speak mine
there’s an appreciation, usually, of humor
a wide diversity of belief and non-belief
exploration of doubt and faith are both embraced
even if there’s disagreement, usually respect is shown
you feel free to call me on my bullshit
women have strong voices
gays, and other marginalized persons, have full status, rights and privileges

That’s just some of the similarities. Again, thanks everyone for a great year. The traffic to np has about doubled in 2009. Maybe we can see that happen again. Tell your family, friends, pastors and enemies. It’s not about financial gain for me. In fact, that’s another similarity between my church and this community: I’m not going to get rich on it… yet ( 😉 ). Anyway, here’s to 2009! And here’s to 2010!! May you all have a great new year. And genuine heart-felt thanks from me!